Teton DAM Marathon - Race Reviews

I LOVED this race! I was pretty nervous about the field being so small (less than 100 marathoners finished), but the organization and enthusiastic volunteers made me feel like it was a marathon just for me. I got tons of cheers and high fives and even a hug just for me. Because there were so few of us and we were spread out, the volunteers, spectators and relay team members would cheer for you when you came by (rather than the spectator fatigue that comes with a steady stream of runners). The Teton dam start was perfect. It was beautiful and you didn't have to wait long for the 6:30am start. It was very informal with the RD just calling 'go.' The weather really cooperated that morning with just a little wind as it started to get warmer which was perfect. There isn't much traffic at all, so I was really able to enjoy the scenery. There is a portion of a few miles near the beginning on dirt road, which could perhaps be less enjoyable (muddy) in a heavy rain. I thought the course was beautiful and I even really liked the hills at the end for a change of pace. I even got my 2nd best time. The medal was great and the finish was fine. (I kind of wish there were different medals for the marathoners vs. relay runners and I would have loved to be able to purchase a hat for the race, but none available other than as awards.) The dinner/info meeting the night before was nice too. I would definitely recommend this one!

I signed up for this race because it worked out logically in my quest for 50 states. This was the weekend after the Deadwood Mickelson marathon in SD, and we spent the week in between on vacation in Yellowstone and the Tetons. I really liked this race. It is a point to point rural course with few runners and a nice early start. Add beautiful weather, exuberant volunteers, and a supportive small community, and you have a fabulous race. I know there are a lot of great marathons in Idaho, but Teton Dam should not be overlooked.

I'm a local so I've run this marathon 7 times, and 2014 was by far the best year yet. They have really made some improvements: cash awards, good-looking, high-quality medals with the year on them (not the generic, reusable type like they had before), 'king of the hill' challenge which gave a cash award for the fastest split time up the hill at mile 19, good food and free massages at the finish, chartered busses to the start line (much more comfy than school busses), nice tech-shirt, functional sports bag, and stainless steel thermos bottles for age group winners. The winning time for the men's marathon was only 3:13, and the guy got $400 bucks! They must have given out close to $2000 total in prize money and raffled off several pairs of shoes, $50 gift cards, etc. I think they must have had a new race director because this was a total turnaround from 2012 when I ran it last. There are still a few improvements they could make (for example, why isnt there an elevation profile of the race on their website?), but combine it with a weekend in the Tetons or Yellowstone and this makes for a fun trip. Do some hill training before you come. Mile 1-18 is mostly flat, but 18-23 is a challenging gradual climb, followed by a few rolling hills from 23-25, and mile 26 is all downhill.

Good but tough course. Very good support along the course. Nice finishers metal. Very good dinner the night before.

As a member of the 50 state club, i was anxious to run Idaho and collect my medal to commerate the event. I finished mid pack in around 4 1/2 hours and was told they ran out of medals because they handed them out to the relay runners. They told me not to worry as they wrote down my bib number and they would mail it to me when they had more. Well, no medal has showed up. I emailed the director 3 times to no response. Finally i received a response from someone else when they emailed me to sign up for this years event. They apologized and promised to mail my medal the very next day. Well, 2 more months have passed and no medal has arrived. My 50 state collection will have a hole where Idaho is suppose to go. So run Boise, or run somewhere where they deliver what they promise!

Make sure you register early or you will be cheated out of the shirt that you pay for. I registered 4 days prior to the event and was told 'Since you registered late, you'll have to get your shirt later.' I was told I would be emailed about getting it (never happened) and that a shirt had been mailed to me (twice). Never got the shirt and the director has quit responding to my inquires. Won't run this again. I hate to get cheated out of what I paid for.

When I picked up my packet the night before I was told I would get my shirt the next day. However, at the end of the race everything was in short supply. No more shirts, no more medals, very little food. An overwhelmed race director was taking names and email addresses from disappointed runners promising to send medals and shirts. I emailed the race 3 times providing my name and address asking to please at least to be sent a medal. It is now 3 months later and I still have not received any response. I'm not very pleased by the lack of response. Community support is low, but volunteers were enthusiastic. As for the course, I'll say that after seeing 20 miles of potato fields, the last 6 miles of potato fields made me feel like I was running in place. And the last 9 miles felt like they were all uphill. So, mediocre course, bad ending, nice volunteers.

Great and wonderful marathon. The sponsor of the marathon was very active and seen throughout the race cheering and encouraging. Poor community turnout or support. My only complaint would be that when I came to get my packet I was told that 'since you registered so late you will have to wait to get your shirt'. I was then told that I would be emailed about the shirt and I never received an email. I was then told that I would receive a shirt in the mail by the race director and never received it. The Rexburg Community Affairs Department then told me that they would not mail me the shirt but that I could pick it up in Rexburg (I live in Pocatello). It was also inferred that I should have picked it up the day of the race. 2 months later I have still not received a shirt.

Nice day with overcast but a little warm. Gels were available this time, but I didn't take any until near the end, and there were NONE at mile 20 as promised, and then at mile 24 - they said 'we just gave the last one out'. How can that be when I was a top 5 finisher. OUT? How can that be? One aid station was out of cups, and holding the water jug up so thirsty runners could put their mouth under it. Awards were nice with engravings for the division 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Nice shirts too. The town hardly cares about this race, except for Sugar City, who places 100 American flags - Very Nice! The 30 or so home owners along the last 7 miles could get into it more, maybe play a boom box or ring a bell - anything. Race Director Michael and the staff have lots of enthusiasm and want to make this a community attraction. But this year, the town didn't seem too interested. Even my Rexburg family didn't watch, and the race goes near their house. Kind of sad. But the volunteers can sure cheer :) Keep it up Michael. I'll be back.

I arrived early for the bus trip, which drives you out to the start at historic Teton Dam which flooded in 1976. Safety pins needed to be included in the packet, as none were available until you were about to board these buses. Temps were very cool at the beginning, but it warmed up gradually. The course was run through several potato farms, on both pavement and gravel, in a primarily rural setting. Hills are common in the final 7 miles, where you really don't need them. The minimal support along the way was good, but additional port-a-potties are necessary, as I saw three instances of female runners breaking off the public roadways and squatting wherever they saw fit. At the finish, the Great Harvest bread was good. However, I was disappointed to hear the medals awarded to the marathoners were the same as those awarded to the half marathoners, relay teams, and 10Kers. Although they are nice, I would recommend that they be slightly different in size; if nothing else, as they should distinguish the respective distances run by each participant. Kudos to Race Director Michael, who was just starting out but was very motivated and excited to undertake this event! As a patriot, I also enjoyed the line of flags as we ran through Sugar City. Nicely done!

Great new course - undulating with no hard hills, some running on dirt roads, and a fine finish with Great Harvest Bread and Jumbo Juice oatmeal (it was a cold day with a tailwind two-thirds of the time and a difficult headwind a third of the time). BUT: the run literature promised Hammer Gels; we got oranges and bananas instead. We got promised Hammer HEED about 4 times instead of what was promised. Support/spectator were admonished not to bother the runners, but drivers' perspectives were different: for the last two miles I broke free of those support vehicles driving alongside of their friends. IT was a wonderful rural run between two montain ranges. And bring your own coffee; this town is home to BYU-I.

I gave the course 4 stars because my husband ran the full marathon and said it was a brutal course. This was his second and toughest marathon. I ran the half (first half marathon for me) and thought it was perfect. There were a lot of rolling hills but I rather enjoyed them. The volunteers were exceptional, too, giving me the energetic push that I needed! A BIG "THANK YOU" to them! The weather couldn't have been better, either! It was overcast and very pleasant. Overall, my husband and I both had a positive experience with this race. Thank you!

This was my first marathon so I have nothing to compare it to, but I had a great time. I ran the course in 4:22. It was very challenging, with a 4-mile hill starting at mile 17. The course was scenic and peaceful. Gel was available, and they had water/sports drink every 2 miles. Weather was wonderful - it was cool to start and didn't get too hot. Snacks, drinks and massages were available afterward.

On my quest to run a marathon in every state, I decided to run this one based solely on needing a race in Idaho. I am so glad I happened to find this one! The organization was outstanding and the volunteers were awesome. (Thanks again to the volunteer who ran up the last hill with me at mile 24!) If you don't like hilly courses, this race is not for you. Mile 16 to 21 is pretty brutal... but it's a downhill finish from there. Rexburg is a wonderful town, and everyone is so friendly. From the expo, to the potato bake, to the shuttle to the start, and all during the race, we were greeted with smiles and enthusiasm. I highly recommend this race if you are looking for a challenging race in a wonderful part of God's country.

Tough course: 8 miles on gravel/dirt roads, and 16-22 are uphill - when you need some downhill the most. Great support, and it's nice to have aid stations every 2 miles starting at mile 4. No spectators. The party at the end left much to be desired.

Pluses: Lots of sunshine and no shade at all. Early start, so you are not running in a hot part of the day. The bus ride was organized. At the start, it ws 45 degrees; at the finish, mid 60's. Porta-potties and water stop every 2 miles. Chocolate milk at the finish. Also, it's only 2 hours from Jackson Hole and Teton National Park, which are totally awesome. And it's about 4 hours from Salt Lake City. Minuses: Except for the water stops and relay exchange points, and fans at the finish, there are NO SPECTATORS. Gatorade or whatever they were handing out was the worst I've ever tasted in a race. Several of the early miles were on dirt/gravel road, which I found annoying, especially going uphill. Food at the potato bake looked so awful that we ditched and went elsewhere. Mile 25/26 was downhill, but since quads were toast from the two previous 4 mile climbs, it hurt with every step going down the hill. No split times. No 13.1 marking. Summary: I was doing this as part of the 50-state club. Would not recommend this for those wanting to travel to cool or interesting places. Nothing really to do in Rexburg. Very ordinary and nothing special.

Do this one and you can say you did the Dam Marathon!! And you should do it! Outstanding volunteers! Great marathon!! Tough course; high elevation; two long hills, one on gravel; and almost all the rest was rolling hills. We stayed at AmeriInn and ate at Hard Hat Cafe - and highly recommend both!

This was number 4 for me - NY, Miami, and A1A were my other three, and this was the most challenging. Lots of hills - like the whole course, and on top of all of the hills, we were at over 5,000 feet in elevation. No PR for this course; add about 15 minutes to your time. The race was a lot of fun. Rexburg was very nice.

For a small-town event, this race is well-organized. The course is very rolling, especially tough for flat-landers who are not accustomed to running at altitude (4800-5100 ft). The new course for 2008 featured approximately 7 miles on gravel roads, which made for some slower going on the hills. Weather for the 2008 race was sunny and warm (got very warm very quickly), so the prevailing winds were most welcome in the later miles (as were the occasional, unintentional showers from farm sprinklers). There is not a lot of variety in the scenery, mostly potato farms and long stretches of road. However, the volunteers more than make up for the long lonesome stretches of road with their enthusiasm and encouragement. They made even us back-of-the-pack folks feel great about our efforts.

Wonderfully organized, small-town marathon. Commemorating the 1976 Teton Dam burst tragedy, starts at the dam site. Challenging mile-high course with great scenery. Two substantial hills, but do-able. Excellent, friendly support, with free Idaho potato-bake carb-load dinner. No complaints.

I trained well and went up alone. I was a little nervous since it was my first marathon. I enjoyed the small-town scenery and the great support. They ran out of water at mile 15 or 16 that was a little bit tough - only Gatorade. A couple in a car gave me a water bottle that I carried for 3 miles. Thank you! Otherwise, it was very well organized. A very flat course with great scenery.

This was my 29th marathon experience and my slowest, but given that I completed the Deadwood Mickelson Marathon in SD 6 days prior, I can't complain. The organization was surperb. The whole town gets behind this one. The mayor actually hands out your number and goodie bag. I had #1, don't know how other that I must have registered early. I wanted the mayor to have my number, but he declined. What a personable and down-to-earth guy. He even ran the marathon. There were not a lot of spectators but those who were at the water stops were second to none. The scenery was great, along with the weather and shirt. Keep up the good work, Rexburg. - Mike from MA

I only did the half but the course was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Everyone was very friendly and we got a lot of nice freebies. It was fun to meet the mayor of Rexburg and to see him run the marathon. The food post-race could have been a lot better. I think this is an area for improvement, but other than that it was a really nice race.

This is a scenic, well-organized, feel-good, small-town race. Everyone - the race organizers, the volunteers, the other runners, and the spectators - were all so friendly and enthusiastic. The mayor of Rexburg also ran the marathon this year - his first! - setting a great example for the citizens of his lovely community. I highly recommend this wonderful event.

This was my first marathon and I can't say enough about the enthusiasm of the volunteers, even for those of us at the back! Also, people would leapfrog ahead so there was plenty of cheering. The route was well-marked so even though there were lots of turns you never felt confused. The addition of 1 or 2 more porta-potties would be nice, but otherwise it was wonderful. The refreshment stops were every two miles, and some of them had gels and fruit - wonderful. There was plenty of fuel so that those in the back (like me) still had a choice of what they wanted. Thanks for making my first marathon so memorable!!

I ran the 1/2 in 2005, and the whole in 2006. I love this marathon. The course is challenging and beautiful, the fans are awesome, and the memories that you will have when you are finished are well worth the money. I do recommend attending the pre-race dinner.

For a first-time marathoner, I couldn't have asked for a better experience than the Teton Dam Marathon! This is very much a small, hometown event, but that allows its organizers to make it all the more personal. Extremely well-organized and carried out - from the registration, pre-race dinner, starting-line preparations, post-race activities and everything in between! The course is very open and rural, but serenely beautiful, with the sun at your back almost the entire way. If you're considering this marathon, be sure to do some hill training.... They can get you, especially being so many miles into the race. The good news is they're gentle and rolling and have just enough downhill portions to offer slight reprieves. Spectators along the course are few (almost painfully so), but the volunteers at the many aid stations are supportive and enthusiastic. There's never a lack of water, sports drink or food as they're offered every two miles. Port-a-potties, on the other hand, seemed a little scarce and I might've had some trouble if I actually needed one! There's a little bit of amusing irony at mile 15 as the course passes a very small cemetery, which looked somewhat appealing at that point. :-) The finish line comes after running down a stretch of Main Street in downtown Rexburg between police-controlled traffic, which makes the end of 26.2 miles all the more fun to reach! Lots of noise and applause at the finish line, including your name and hometown read out loud over the speakers. There are food and activities galore at the finish (in one of Rexburg's city parks) where the atmosphere amongst the runners of all the combined races can be soaked in and enjoyed. If you don't mind small numbers, rural scenery, and a few cows, horses and llamas as your "spectators," put the Teton Dam Marathon on your list to consider. You won't regret it!

This local race is a fun, well organized event! A great value for the money (long-sleeve tech tee, good stuff in goodie bag). The race course itself is very scenic, albeit rather hard with the uphill climb from 16-21. The finishing line is great, with lots of food, drinks and activities. Plus, the trophies are very cool! I hope this event keeps growing. Not a lot of fans along the route, but many of them jump from water stop to water stop to cheer you on throughout the race!

This was my first marathon and I had a great experience. The weather was wonderful and I enjoyed the green fields we seemed to meander though on the back country roads. The course was very challenging from mile 16-20 (uphill). I never once found myself wishing there was another aid station becuase there was one every 2 miles. I was always hydrated and comfortable.

This was the second year for this small but fun marathon. It commemorates the dam break that happened some 30 years or so ago and swept through the valley and the city of Rexburg. They have fun using the play on words of dam this and dam that --- like signs every two miles that say 'Teton Dam Marathon, Mile 15, eleven dam miles remaining.' A little humor never hurts. By small I mean about 50 marathoners and maybe an equal number of marathon relay teams that start at the marathon start -- the place where the dam broke. The race is point to point, so prepare for an early morning bus ride. The race starts when they shoot the hose stream over the start line and runners take off under the water arch. Spectators were few but enthusiastic. The course was beautiful, a nice farming valley with mountains surrounding 360 degrees. The weather was PERFECT. Basically flat or slightly downgrade except for miles 16-20 with some moderate hills, elevation is a factor. Along with the marathon and marathon relay there is also a half-marathon, 10k, 5k and fun run all on courses different from the marathon. I was very impressed with the great organization for a race of this size. The City is the organizer of the event and the mayor seems to take the production personally to ensure a well run event along with the parks and rec people,... they were very nice to me on the phone. Police on bikes and in cars patrol the entire course -- traffic isn't a problem -- with plenty of volunteers for the liquid stops (gel and fruit was available at a few of the stops) every two miles and at the busy intersections, even for the plodders in the rear. Nice finish line in the downtown city park with individual names called out while crossing the finish. Nice finishers medals -- not generic. I highly recommend this one. Small and higher elevation but friendly and very well organized. Oh yeah, and a nice spud dinner the night before, it's Idaho, you know.

This marathon course is surrounded by very green and beautiful farmlands... and, of course, lots of fresh air. The first 16 miles are slightly downhill. Then there are a few inclines and a decline into the outskirts of Rexburg. The last few miles are flat with the ending right down the center of Rexburg to the city park where a fair was going on. For the low entry fee you get a 100% polyester shirt that is great to run in, well supplied aid stations and finish area and many friendly people. The few spectators kept leapfrogging along the course so that there seemed like there were more than there were. There were very few runners even with the relay, 10K and half marathon. Highly recommended. Thanks Rexburg for a great time.

This run had a little bit of everything, starting with the fire hose, great scenery, fog, and un-ending hills from mile 16 through 20. The aid stations were great. I had never had them every 2 miles. Thank you for making the finish line so fun.